Trio Named Preseason All-America By College Sporting News

Aug 25, 2009

-Pictured: Alex Spisak. Photo by Dave Silverman
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard was tabbed with three more
preseason All-American designations as the last of the
prognosticators chime in before the start of the 2009 campaign.
This time it was the College Sporting News who dubbed James
Williams, Matt Luft and Alex Spisak among the nation's top players.

Harvard has had at least one All-American in each of the last 10
years while posting the nation's second-best winning percentage
this decade.

Williams and Spisak highlight an offensive line that has been a
dominant force in Harvard's stay atop the Ivy League. Last season,
all five of Harvard's offensive linemen earned postseason honors
and, despite graduating three All-Ivy Leaguers, the unit appears to
be strong this season. Both players have earned significant
preseason accolades this season - led by Williams, who has been
named All-America by every publication.

The duo is joined by Luft, a senior wide receiver. Luft enters
the season as one of Harvard's all-time greats at the wideout
position. He has already logged 115 career receptions for 1,933
Yards and 12 touchdowns. His 16.8 yards-pre-reception average is
tops on the all-time list.

Since 2000, Harvard owns a .775 winning percentage (69-20) -
second-highest in the Football Championship Subdivision and sixth
highest in all of Division I. Over the past five seasons, Harvard
is 41-9. Harvard is 36-6 at Harvard Stadium dating back to 2001
while winning 16 of its last 17 games there.

The Crimson has registered at least seven wins in each of the
last eight years, making Harvard the only team in the history of
Ivy League football to post such a string of successful seasons.
Two years ago, Harvard became the first Ivy team to post a string
of seven such seasons together. The current stretch is the
Crimson's best eight-year run since a 28-year streak of seven-plus
win seasons came to an end in 1911. The program has won 64 games
over the past eight seasons for the best stretch since a stretch
from 1908-1915 when the program also won 64 games.

Harvard opens its season Sept. 19 at Holy Cross against a
Crusaders' team that will already have two games under its belt.
Harvard's home opener comes the following Friday night, Sept. 25,
against Brown.